Material handling container and method for using the same



July 29, 1969 R. BENSE ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME Filed Aug. 17. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

0 6 4 3 I 2 3 5 2 2 2 L H IHHH J/ K Q 2 V 7/ f0 m 0 6 O C: l\ 7 2 A 2 3 5 2 2 2 FIGZ IN VENTORS ROGER BENSE NORMAN E. LAUTERBACH ATTORNEYS v July 29, 1969 BENsE ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING CONTAINER AND METHOD F011 USING THE SAME Filed Aug. 17, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m A m w 0 E T T U m A VW WBE N RA M GR 00 RN ATTORNEYS United States Patent U.S. CI. 2158- 19 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A materials handling container, and methods for its use, having sidewalls and open at the bottom with a removable grate. The top for the container being hinged in two sections and contoured to drain fluids to the outer edge of the top where it is discharged and drained on the outside of the container.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for material handling and, more specifically, for material handling devices particularly suitable for sterilization and washing.

In the past it has been known to provide open basket type or perforated material handling trays or containers which are open at the top and there are the type which are closed on the bottom and side walls or open on the top with a top or lid for closure thereof during transporting; the former is more suitable for readily passing steam or other sterilizing medium and for use in washing machines. With the former type of construction, you have the advantage of greater convection and better efliciency with the sterilizing medium, but you have the problem of the condensate, from the upper trays or containers when oriented vertically one above another, dripping onto the materials in the lower baskets.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide in its broadest aspect an improved materials handling container and method for using the same, which includes a plurality of side walls and a top which are of a fluids readily impermeable material, as for example fiberglass. (As hereinafter used in this patent, the term fluids readily impermeable shall be construed to mean material which is readily impermeable to both gases and liquids in an appreciable amount under normal sterilizing and/ or normal atmospheric conditions) and in which the container includes a fluids readily permeable bottom (the term fluids readily permeable shall mean a material readily permeable to both gases and liquids under normal atmospheric and/or normal sterilizing conditions) and in which the side walls and bottom are suitable for retaining the goods to be handled therein. Therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide an improved material handling container and one which is particularly suitable for sterilization and washing purposes and method for using such a container.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide an improved container of the above described nature having means on the top or lid thereof for draining fluids above the top to the outer edge of the container.

It is a significant object of this invention to provide method and apparatus whereby sterilizing steam or other lighter-than-air gas may be introduced into the bottom of the container for downward displacement of the air therein out through the bottom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved device for draining condensate out of a container.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be particularly set forth in the claims and will be apparent ice from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top planar view with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and partly in section where indicated by the line 22 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational View with parts broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line 5-5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

With reference to the figures, there is described one embodiment of this invention in which is illustrated a box or container, indicated by the numeral 10 (FIG. 2), preferably of molded fiberglass or any other suitable material adapted for the particular use, as for example, autoclave resistant isophthalic polyester for use in sterilizing. The container 10 comprises a plurality, preferably four, of slightly tapering sidewalls 12 suitable for nesting of the containers. The sidewalls 12 terminate with an inwardly, horizontally disposed bottom peripheral lip or lOWer flange 14, which defines an opening 16 in the bottom of the container. The flange 14 serves to retain a grate 18 formed by a plurality of cross-bars or rods 20, welded together, thereby to form a rigid, substantially open structure, overlying substantially the entire bottom area of the container 10 upon which is placed the goods to be sterilized, as for example, bottles of solution to be autoclaved, or goods to be otherwise treated and/or handled in the container 10.

At each of the four corners of the container and facing on the end side walls shown in FIG. 3 are provided protrusions 22 forming shoulders 23 at their lower ends, which serve as stop elements to preclude the possibility of the containers 10 sticking together upon being nested. Also, formed internally of the container 10 at all four corners are protrusions 25 (FIG. 2) terminating at their upper ends in downwardly and inwardly slanting shoulders 27 which serve as reinforcement for container 10.

As viewed in FIG. 3 at the upper portion of container 10, there is an internal shoulder or lip 24 and a corresponding external shoulder or lip 26 molded along only the side sidewalls of the container 10. The external shoulders 26 are adapted to be received on rails provided on a mobile carriage for transporting the containers 10 and the internal shoulders 24 are adapted to receive the lower edge of a peripheral vertical flange 28, molded or otherwise formed around the peripheral edge of a top or cover, generally indicated by the numeral 30. As shown in cross section in both FIGS. 2 and 3, preferably, the upper edge of the container 10 has molded therein a reinforcing wire 32.

There are vertical extending inwardly disposed channels 36 formed in the opposing end sidewalls, thereby to carry or discharge fluids passing from the lip 30, in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the lid. There is a horizontally disposed opening or channel 40 formed in a horizontal flange portion 42 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) formed at the upper terminal end of the channel 36.

The top 30 is formed in two sections 44 and 45 of any suitable material, preferably of molded fiberglass, and being hinged together at 46 for upward opening, as indicated by the arrows 47 and 48 respectively, thereby to provide ready access from either side of top 30 to the internal portion of the container 10 without complete removal of the top 30. In the illustrated embodiment the peripheral flange 28 of top 30 protrudes above but could be flush with or below the upper terminal edge of the container upon being received in the container 10 abutting relationship with the internal shoulder 24 of the container 10.

The plurality of arrows shown in FIG. 1 on section 45 of the top 30 indicates the flow pattern of condensate or other liquids as they flow downwardly over the generally concave contoured top sections 44 and 45 until the fluid reaches an opening or channel 50 (FIG. 4) formed at the lowermost contour of each of the top sections 44 and 45. Each top section 45 is molded into three sloping surfaces 45A, 45B and 45C. Surface 45B slopes downwardly from left to right and each of surfaces 45A and 45C slope downwardly to the lines A-B and 8-0 respectively, formed with surface 45B. The fluids are then drained through container opening 40 in the manner indicated by the arrow 52 of FIG. 4. The fluid passes into the channel 36 of the container.

Molded into the lower surface of the lid is a vertical extension 54 (FIGS. 4 and forming a continuation of the opening 50, thereby to prevent any of the fluids indicated by the arrow 52 from flowing into the container.

It will be understood from the above description that containers may be nested with the tops 30 removed A plurality of containers are vertically oriented one above the other in a washing machine or a sterilizer, preferably slightly spaced one above the other so fluids may readily enter and be discharged from the containers 10. The containers are vertically oriented one above the other so that, upon draining of the liquids or fluids from the top surface of one of the tops 30, out through the top channel 50, on to the corresponding top 30 of a similar container below and eventually discharged at the bottom of the sterilizer.

As indicated by the arrows 60 of FIG. 2, when this invention is utilized in a conventional downward displacement steam sterilizer, the steam being lighter than air moves upwardly through the opening 16 in the bottom of the container 10, thereby to downwardly displace the heavier residual air from the container and the goods to be sterilized therein.

The locking element for each top section 44 and 45 comprises a compression spring latch element 64. There is also a small opening 62 (FIG. 5) formed in each section 44 and 45 of the top 30 and adapted to receive a terminal end 63, each spring latch element 64 thereby securing the spring latch element or elements 64 on to the top 30. An opposing terminal end 66 of the spring latch element 64 is angularly disposed to the spring latch 64 at a position vertically below the bend forming the terminal end 63 and in opposite direction, thereby to be received in locking relationship below the horizontal terminal flange portion 42 of the channel 36. In this manner, the top is releasably lockable at both end to the container 10.

As indicated by the arrow 68 (FIG. 5), the operator simply compresses the spring latch element 64, thereby to move the terminal end 66 to the left sufiiciently to free it from the edge of the opening 40 and the terminal end 66 is permitted to pass through opening 40.

As applied specifically to sterilization, this novel contruction has the advantage of there being less air entrapment in the container and goods than when the steam is introduced from above.

Upon removal from the washer or from the sterilizer, the cover or top 30 functions also as a dust cover, and it will be understood that when the container is set down on a flat surface, the bottom is not exposed to dirt.

While we have shown and described the preferred form of mechanism of our invention and method for using the same, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made therein, particularly in the form and relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of our invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A materials handling container comprising sidewalls, a fluids readily permeable bottom, said sidewalls and bottom being suitable for retaining goods to be handled therein, and a fluids readily impermeable top covering said container and extending between said sidewalls, said bottom comprising a rigid removable grate.

2. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 1, in which said sidewalls are fluids readily impermeable, and said top is divided into at least two hinged sections.

3. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 1, in which said top includes means for draining fluids above said top to the outer edge of said container.

4. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 1, in which said top includes means for draining fluids above said top to substantially the outer edge of said top.

5. A materials handling container comprising sidewalls, a fluids readily permeable bottom, said sidewalls and bottom being suitable for retaining goods to be handled therein, and a fluids readily impermeable top covering said container and extending between said sidewalls, said top including a concave surface contoured to drain fluids above said top to a lowest discharge channel on said top at substantially the outer edge thereof.

6. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which said top is adapted for opening relative to said sidewalls and one of said sidewalls has a substantially horizontally disposed opening communicating with said top discharge channel and a substan tially vertically disposed channel formed in said one sidewall, communicating with said opening for draining said fluids from said opening.

7. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, including latch means mounted on one of said top and one of said sidewalls, said latch means comprising a compressible spring terminating in a latch end adapted to be received in and locked with an opening of the other of said top and said one sidewall.

8. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which said top comprises a pair of hinged sections adapted for opening relative to said sidewalls, each of said sections being contoured to drain fluids above said top to a lowest discharge channel on said top at opposing substantially outer edges thereof.

9. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which said bottom comprises a rigid grate.

10. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which said bottom comprises a removable rigid grate.

11. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which said top is adapted for opening relative to said sidewalls and one of said sidewalls has an opening communicating with said top discharge channel and through which said fluid passes on the outside of one of said sidewalls.

12. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 11, including latch means mounted on one of said top and said one sidewall and being adapted to pass through and lock with one of said discharge channel and said opening of the other of said top and said one sidewall.

13. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 11, including a channel formed in said one sidewall communicating with said sidewall opening and through which said fluids drain to the bottom surface of said container.

14. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 5, in which one of said sidewalls has a sidewall channel communicating with said top discharge channel and through which said fluids drain externally of said sidewall to the bottom surface of said container.

15. A materials handling container in accordance with claim 14, in which said sidewall channel discharges said fluids onto a second top of a corresponding second container positioned below the first claimed container.

16. A materials handling container comprising sidewalls, a fluids readily permeable bottom, said sidewalls and bottom being suitable for retaining goods to be handled therein, and a fluids readily impermeable top covering said container and extending between said sidewalls, said top being divided into at least two hinged sections, said sidewalls being adapted for nesting.

17. A method of fluid treating materials comprising the steps of: vertically aligning a plurality 'of hereinafter defined materials handling containers, introducing a treating fluid through a fluids readily permeable bottom of each said containers, each of said containers having a top and sidewalls which are fluids readily impermeable, maintaining said fluid therein for a selected treating period, and thereafter removing said fluid through said bottoms of said containers.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 including a step of draining said fluids from above and below the top of a first container onto the top of a container below said first container.

19. A method of sterilizing materials comprising the steps of: vertically aligning a plurality of hereinafter defined materials handling containers, downwardly displacing air in said containers by introducing a sterilizing medium lighter than air in through a fluids readily References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,256 3/1932 Nielsen.

725,123 4/1903 Nichols 2195 1,441,674 1/1923 Foster et al. 220-73 2,275,672 3/ 1942 Bruni et al 21-103 XR OTHER REFERENCES Catalogue-Bacteriological Apparatus, 1910, Wilmot Castle Company 26-28 relied on).

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner BARRY S. RICHMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

